UNTO THE CHOICE VINE by Ray Prinzing

“The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.  Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine, he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes.” (Genesis 49:10-11)

In fulfilling this scripture, significant that Jesus did not ride just one, but two.  “Tell ye the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass,” (Mt. 21:5).

What meaneth the symbolism of all this?  Jesus sat upon the ass, and placed His feet upon the colt, and rode them both into Jerusalem.  Binding together the vine and the choice vine.  Jesus Christ was both the connecting link and the transition from both the vine of the first covenant and the choice vine of the new covenant.   He rode out the law, fulfilled it, and He placed His feet firmly upon the new covenant with a full arrangement unto life and victory.

Those apprehended to become a part of the enchristed company have likewise often been placed in that position of riding both the old and the new.  Brought up under the law with all its commandments, forms, ceremonies, yet receiving a vision of the glory of the NEW, so that they can no longer stay within the confines of the old, but now would “go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach.  For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come,” (Heb. 13:13-14)

Surely as He leads from the old into the new, we also “wash our garments in wine…” “The fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death,” (Phil. 3:10).   There can be no union with Him without treading this same path which He trod.  But there is a going from glory to glory, until we partake of the fruit of that CHOICE VINE, the new wine of the kingdom.